We are spoiled for choice in this sector to find individuals who are truly inspiring. Simon Berry, the founder of ColaLife, is one of them.

If you haven’t heard of Simon or come across his ColaLife campaign I suggest you subscribe to his blog, become a fan on Facebook, but most importantly, read up on how he has taken his idea and made it happen. His is a real success story.

The ColaLife movement is based on three points:

1. Simon worked in international development for many years and found he could buy Coca-Cola almost anywhere in the world, even the most remote parts of developing countries

2. Yet in these same places one in five children die before their fifth birthday from preventable causes. Most die from dehydration or from diarrhoea.

3. According to ColaLife, the child mortality figures have not changed significantly for at least three decades, which would indicate that current initiatives are not working.

The premise is simple enough: Simon wants Coca-Cola to open up its distribution channels in developing countries to carry ‘social products’ such as oral rehydration salts or mosquito nets to people who need them desperately.

This could be done by incorporating a small container into Coca-Cola crates. The content of these containers (or ‘aidpods’ as Simon has dubbed them) would be determined locally by health professionals.

What had been a personal project for Simon, which he developed in his spare time, has now been rewarded with financial backing in the form of an UnLtd grant of £15,000, which will enable him to give up work and concentrate on ColaLife full time.   

One of Simon’s greatest successes has been his ability to create a worldwide community to support his idea through an array of social media channels – something that many large charities that complain about a lack of resources  such as people and time should take a good look at.  

ColaLife’s presence across Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Flickr is impressive. The content is regularly updated, visually engaging and transparent in its approach, keeping you in the loop with every step. Whether it’s showcasing a video or discussing ideas for the design of the aidpod, Simon has taken his online community with him and placed them at the heart of his campaign.  

His online presence has led to off-line successes from brokering partnerships between the international agency AED and Coca-Cola to the creation of ColaLife university and school clubs, which have started in India, America and the UK.

I wish Simon every success with his campaign and I know that the grant will enable him to concentrate on making his vision a reality. I have no doubts this will be sooner rather than later.

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